Zentrale für Einkauf und Service

Zentrale für Einkauf und Service (ZEUS) was a German purchasing and service company within the Hagebau cooperative group. Hagebau itself is a Verbund (association) of around 350 medium-sized wholesale and retail traders in the building materials, timber, tiles and garden segments, operating more than 1,500 locations across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Spain, with its head office in Soltau, Lower Saxony. ZEUS was created to bundle central purchasing and service functions for the group's retail side. Hagebau had held a stake in ZEUS since 2003. In 2013 ZEUS became a 100-percent subsidiary of Hagebau. Its role was to support the retail business — in particular the Hagebaumarkt franchise system — as a system provider and service company, supplying services such as purchasing, marketing, IT and store development to independent member retailers. On 1 January 2018 ZEUS was fully merged into Hagebau and continued under the name hagebau Einzelhandel. From that point the retail division, operating as hagebau Einzelhandel, took over the management of the retail business and the Hagebaumarkt franchise system. The ZEUS brand therefore ceased to exist as a separate legal entity, though its functions live on inside Hagebau's retail division. As part of Hagebau, ZEUS was connected to a broad retail ecosystem: Hagebaumarkt stores in Germany and Austria, smaller-format Hagebau Kompakt (formerly Werkers Welt) outlets, Hagebaucentren combining trade and retail, the Hagebau Holzhandel timber division, the Fliese/Naturstein tile and natural stone division, and logistics sites in Neumünster, Westerkappeln, Herten, Schleinitz, Burgau and Walsrode. The cooperative structure means member entrepreneurs retain regional control over pricing and assortment while benefiting from central purchasing, own brands, digital tools and marketing power. Today the ZEUS name is historical. Its successor, hagebau Einzelhandel, remains the system provider for the Hagebaumarkt franchise network, and Hagebau continues to describe itself as a cooperation of independent retailers that has united businesses for over 60 years.

Zentrale für Einkauf und Service (ZEUS) was a purchasing and service company within the Hagebau group, a German cooperative of building materials, timber, tile and garden retailers. Hagebau was founded in 1964 as a purchasing association of 34 specialist building materials traders. Seven years later the hundredth shareholder joined. The first Hagebau store opened in 1979. Hagebau Österreich was founded in 1995, and the Hagebau Holzhandel timber division was created in 1997. In 2007 the tile and natural stone division was integrated as the third specialist trade segment, and in the same year Hagebau founded the online retail platform Baumarkt Direkt together with the Otto Group. Hagebau had held a stake in ZEUS since 2003. In 2013 ZEUS became a 100-percent subsidiary of Hagebau. As a subsidiary, ZEUS served as a system provider and service company for the retail business, including the Hagebaumarkt franchise system. It supported independent member retailers with central purchasing, marketing, IT and other services while those retailers retained regional control over pricing and assortment. On 1 January 2018 ZEUS was fully merged into Hagebau and continued as hagebau Einzelhandel. The retail division, hagebau Einzelhandel, took over responsibility for the retail business and the Hagebaumarkt franchise system as system provider and service company. In July 2019 Baumarkt Direkt was fully taken over by Otto, ending Hagebau's cooperation with Otto. The ZEUS name ceased to be used as a separate entity, but its functions continued within Hagebau's retail division.

• 2019

  In July, Baumarkt Direkt was fully taken over by Otto, ending Hagebau's cooperation with Otto.

• 2018

  On 1 January, ZEUS was fully merged into Hagebau and continued as hagebau Einzelhandel.

• 2013

  ZEUS became a 100-percent subsidiary of Hagebau.

• 2007

  The tile and natural stone division was integrated as the third specialist trade segment; Hagebau and Otto Group founded Baumarkt Direkt.

• 2003

  Hagebau acquired a stake in ZEUS.

• 1997

  The Hagebau Holzhandel timber division was created.

• 1995

  Hagebau Österreich was founded.

• 1979

  The first Hagebau store opened.

• 1971

  The hundredth shareholder joined Hagebau, seven years after founding.

• 1964

  Hagebau founded as a purchasing association of 34 specialist building materials traders.

Central purchasing and service provider for Hagebau's retail and franchise operations

Product categories. Central purchasing services · Retail system services · Marketing services · IT systems · Store development support

1. 1hagebau Einzelhandel: Franchise für Baumärkte & Gartencenter – hagebau.comhagebau.com
2. 2Zentrale für Einkauf und Service – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Hagebau – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org